EDWARDSVILLE - Father McGivney Catholic's baseball team continues its quest to the state finals on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, against third-sectional seed Centralia (Christ Our Rock).
Father McGivney carries a 34-3 overall mark into the game. The Griffins have won six straight games going into the Christ Our Rock matchup.
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This past Saturday, May 24, 2025, McGivney's Kannon Kamp scattered four his on the mound, striking out three, while Justin Terhaar drove in three runs, and both Drew Kleinheider and Ben Sink drove home two runs each as Father McGivney Catholic won the IHSA Class 1A Metro-East Lutheran baseball regional 12-0 over Carrollton Saturday afternoon at Martin Luther Field.
"We're feeling very good," said McGivney head coach Chris Erwin said on Saturday. "I'm really excited for the guys, really excited about getting a regional championship under our belt. The guys have worked very hard all season, and I'm just excited for them. They get a chance to celebrate this."
The Griffins have played lights-out baseball all season long, and it's the right time of the season to be on a winning streak as well.
"I think that we're playing really good right now," Erwin said. "We're kind of hitting our stride, the guys have worked really, really hard this season to make sure they take care of business. They've worked really hard in the off-season. lifting weights, and now, here, it's starting to pay off, and they're having a good one."
Erwin and his players are looking ahead to the sectional at Greenville, and a chance to keep their season going into the final week at the state finals in Champaign-Urbana.
"I'm excited about the sectional," Erwin said. "It's going to be at Greenville University, I'm excited about going down there, and the challenges of the teams that will be there. They're going to be really good teams, and I know our guys are looking forward to continue in this roll."
Erwin does like the Griffins' chances, but also doesn't want to look too far down the road, but concentrate on one game at a time.
Kamp and Omar Avalos led off the first for McGivney with walks, and after a strikeout. Terhaar doubled home Kamp and Avalos to make it 2-0 for the Griffins. Terhaar later went to third, and scored when Issac Wendler reached base to make it 3-0 after the first inning.
McGivney exploded for nine runs in the third, starting with singles by Kleinheider, Terhaar, and Wendler to plate Kleinheider, making the score 4-0. A passed ball and wild pitch allowed two more runs to score, and after Mason Holmes drew a walk, Sink hit a two-run homer over the fence in right field to make the score 8-0. Scott Phelps then singled, stole second, and went to third on a passed ball, and after Kamp walked, Avalos singled home Phelps to make it 9-0. Kleinheider singled home two more runs, and scored himself later on to make it 12-0.
Meanwhile, Kamp was sharp on the mound, allowing two hits to Charlie Stumpf, and hits to Lucas Howard and Dagan Cordes in completing his five innings of work, with the game being terminated after the top of the fifth, due to the 10-run rule, with the Griffins taking the regional title 12-0.
Terhaar had two hits and three RBIs for the Griffins, while Kleinheider and Sink had two hits and two RBIs each, Wendler came up with two hits and an RBI, Avalos had a hit and RBI, and Phelps had a hit. Kamp went all the way on the mound, allowing the four hits, while walking two and striking out three.
Brady Clendenan started on the mound for Carrollton, and was charged with the loss, going 3.1 innings, allowing 12 runs on nine hits, walking four and striking out one, while Eli Flowers faced one batter, getting the out, and Koby Scnelton walked a batter and got the final out in the fourth.
